Wedding Cake is a type of baked food which is traditionally served to guests attending the wedding reception. In most of the Western countries the success of the wedding party as bya whole is predominantly assessed by the type of cake served during the reception. Unlike other cakes the cake served on the occasion of wedding is usually big, with multiple tiers or layers and are mostly decorated using the icing. Normally fondant or marzipan is used to decorate the cake. Making a dense and strong cake which can support the decorations without spoiling the taste or edibility factor- remains a challenge in itself for all those bakers who try their hands on it.
Every single cake for a wedding largely varies from the others in terms of the decorations, shape and type of icing used. According to an estimate Americans spent an average of $543 in 2005, to get their cakes done.
Wedding Cakes: The Beginning of the Tradition and Evolutionary History
It is believed that Romans introduced the tradition of serving cakes in the post-wedding dinner and also they incorporated it as the part of the important ritual too. After a typical Roman wedding, the groom was handed over a piece of bread which he had to break over the brides 'head to denote that he will dominate the marriage and will be a master of the bride. Normally the wedding cake is kept white owing to the significance of the occasion. The bride and groom are made to cut the cake, which signifies their first joint task as the man and wife. Then bride and groom feed each other the pieces of their cake which symbolizes the commitments they make to each other in future.
According to a popular legend this type of cake gained popularity in Europe during medieval era. However, the Romans are credited with introducing the tradition but French were the people who implemented it in full sense. The chef who developed first Croquembouche, the French Wedding Cake took the idea from the Brits who placed the piles of sweet rolls between the groom and bride to save them from kissing after the wedding. The tradition stuck on and went on to attain new forms.
The shape and more elaborate concept of the cake to be served during the wedding reception evolved in later years. First time the cake with sugar frosting was baked in 1888. The pillars used for supporting the cake were developed in 1902.
Popular Wedding Cake Recipes
Many wedding cake variants are popular across the world Some of them are:
Wedding Cake Recipes: Adaptations
The cake served during the wedding reception are decorated with toppers. Generally the edible replica of bride and groom in a wedding dress is used as the topper. In some cases the edible brooches or another edible jewelry parts or flowers are used as the wedding cake toppers. Sometimes they are shaped in form of any loved object or passion as per the couple’s interest.
Normally the cakes served during wedding reception are three or five tiered with bottom layer made up of sponge. More elaborate cakes are baked during the royal weddings or the celebrity weddings. In England the traditional cake served during the weddings is prepared using the fruit cake. Slowly that trend is getting replaced with carrot cake, chocolate sponge and vanilla sponge. At some places large wedding cakes are getting replaced with cup cakes. These cupcakes are arranged on the cake stand and adorned with wedding colors.
Cakes Served During Celebrity Weddings